The Chicago Bulls were sellers during the NBA trade deadline, but they didn’t sell everything they could have. Zach LaVine is off the team, but players like Nikola Vučević and Lonzo Ball remain.
In fact, Ball will be a Bull for the next few years. Whether that’s the best idea remains to be seen, but it is even more questionable knowing that they had a solid deal on the table for one of those two.
Chicago Bulls Passed on Lonzo Ball Trade
The Athletic’s John Hollinger reported that the Bulls had the chance to get a first-round pick for Ball, who has struggled with his availability all season, but they passed and opted to keep him around instead.
“According to a league source, the Bulls had a firm offer to get a first-round pick and take on future money for Lonzo Ball and extended him instead.”
Hollinger did not elaborate on which team offered this to the Bulls. However, Locked on Grizzlies Joe Mullinax confirmed that it was the Grizzlies who offered it to the Bulls.
I wonder who that team could’ve been…
(Memphis. It was Memphis.)
— Joe Mullinax (@JoeMullinax) February 12, 2025
Mullinax also did not elaborate on who exactly the Grizzlies offered for Ball, but considering who they traded at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be hard to deduce that it was Marcus Smart.
The Grizzlies traded Smart to the Washington Wizards for cap relief more than anything else. Trading him for Ball would have given them a similar player while also giving them cap flexibility.
Memphis wants to save money in their hopes of extending Jaren Jackson Jr., who’s in the middle of an All-NBA campaign. Why the Bulls said no to this is anyone’s guess.
Maybe they have an attachment to Ball, but it’s not like they’re going anywhere this season. In fact, it’s not like they have a discernible long-term direction. They could have at least taken some draft compensation for a player who has had issues staying on the floor this season. They could have then traded Smart down the line if he ever became healthy.
The Bulls haven’t really had a clear direction since 2021, back when they first brought Ball into the fold. Now that they’ve gotten rid of pretty much everyone on that team sans Ball and Vučević, it’s hard to figure out what their next move is.
Maybe they think they can get more in the offseason, but first Ball has to prove he can stay on the floor — and he hasn’t proven that in years.
